Running Free
by Lethuil and Lizzie
Summary: A post Grave fic! Oh, quit your yapping! You'll like it...We promise. The Council want Buffy and Dawn dead- and Spike has a little secret.
1. Chapter 1

Running Free By Lizzie and Anna  
  
Disclaimer: *sob* We don't own anything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Everything belongs to Joss, the lucky so and so, Mutant Enemy and UPN. Please don't sue us!  
  
Authors Notes: Hi everyone! This is our first fanfic, so, you know. . .fingers crossed. Please R&R!  
  
Spoilers: Umm.Seeing Red. Which sucked, by the way. Well, in my (Anna's) opinion. Lizzie liked it.  
  
On with the story! Drum roll please. . .  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Spike took a deep breath before making his way up the walk to Buffy's house. He really needed to talk to Buffy and Dawn about where he had been the last three months, and the changes he had been through. Knocking lightly on the door Spike patiently waited for the door to open. When the door opened Spike was shocked to see a girl he didn't recognise. She was tall and thin and looked much older than Buffy. The girl looked nervously at Spike.  
  
"I- Is Buffy here?" He stammered.  
  
The girl looked at him, confused. "Erm, no. Sorry."  
  
"Oh. Well, is Dawn here?" he asked thinking the girl was a babysitter or a friend of Willow's.  
  
The girl looked confused again. "No, sorry but no one by that name lives here."  
  
Spike's eyes were suddenly filled with rage. "What do you bloody mean she doesn't live here? This is the Summers house! She has to live here!"  
  
"Oh." the girl said smiling. "You must be looking for the people who used to live here. I'm sorry I never got to meet them- I just rent this place off of a friend of theirs, Mr Giles. My name is Jasmine, by the way."  
  
"Giles." He sneered. "Do you know where I can find him?"  
  
"Oh. . . Yeah. . .He hangs out at this place called The Magic Box."  
  
"Thanks!" Spike yelled running down the path. "Sorry to disturb your night Jasmine!"  
  
"No problem." She said with a flirty smile.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike raced over to the magic box. He should have gone back to his crypt for his car and a change of clothes, but he wanted to find out what happened to Buffy and Dawn. Spike crashed through the door of The Magic Box and scanned it for life.  
  
"Watcher!" he bellowed. "Where the bloody hell are you?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Anya rushed in from the back room. "Hi! Do you have money? Can I help you?" She asked, looking curiously at the man. Anya took a step closer to look at him. "Oh my god! Spike is that you? What did you do to your hair?!"  
  
Spike nervously raked his hand through his now longer, caramel coloured hair, not able to look at Anya after there last "encounter."  
  
"Where's Rupert? I need to speak to him. Where's Buffy and Dawn?"  
  
Anya's jaw dropped open. "Oh god! Xander! Giles! Come quick!"  
  
"What is it Ahn?" Xander said coming out of the training room with Giles following. His eyes locked on Spike for a second before he charged at him, knocking him against the wall.  
  
Spike pushed Xander off him and watched as the three looked at him in shock.  
  
"The- the chip?" Xander stammered.  
  
"Long story." Spike said, dismissing Xander. "Where are they?" he barked at Giles.  
  
"Long story." The watcher mimicked. "Tell us what happened to you, and then maybe I'll tell you what happened to them."  
  
Spike grabbed a chair, turned it around and straddled it. "I'm human, OK? Where are Buffy and Dawn?"  
  
.~*2 months earlier*~.  
  
"Hey Giles." Buffy said coming in the door of the magic box with Dawn following. "Have you heard anything from England about Willow?"  
  
"No." Giles said looking over the books. "They should be ringing soon though."  
  
"Hey Buffy, Dawn." Xander said, coming out of the training room with his tool belt on. "Just fixed up a few things in there. You should be able to do a little training."  
  
"Thanks Xander." Buffy then looked around The Magic Box. When she was satisfied she turned back to Xander. "How are things with you and Anya?"  
  
"Not too good" he replied sadly.  
  
"Everything will be OK, you'll see." she said taking a seat at the table with Dawn.  
  
"Yeah Xander! You'll fix it" Dawn said, trying to encourage him.  
  
Buffy smiled sadly. It had been a while since Spike had- attacked her. After he left, Buffy had put his long, black leather duster at the bottom of her wardrobe. Sometimes she got it out and kicked it around the room, screaming at it. Other times she slept with it, her cheek against the cool leather. Every day she told herself she'd get rid of it, but she never did. She couldn't.  
  
Dawn had found it hard to take, when Buffy told her. She tried not to, but she missed Spike. They all did.  
  
The telephone rang and both Buffy and Dawn looked at it.  
  
"We just jinxed ourselves, haven't we?" Buffy said, turning to Dawn.  
  
Dawn nodded in response.  
  
Giles went to the telephone and picked it up. "Hello Magic Box. What? WHAT?! Angel! Look, calm down. . .They did what? Oh, god. . ."  
  
Buffy looked over at Giles with a worried expression on her face.  
  
"OK, Angel. . .Yes. . .Yes, straight away! I'll get them out by tomorrow night. Call me if you have any news, OK? Thank you."  
  
Giles hanged up the telephone and looked grimly at Buffy and Dawn. " We have to get you both out of town NOW!" He said.  
  
"W- What?! Why?" Buffy finally managed.  
  
"The council tried to kill Faith."  
  
Buffy's face paled. She'd always felt guilty about Faith.  
  
Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "They drugged and kidnapped her, she got away but not before finding out what they were up to. They are coming for you Buffy, and they want Dawn too. She is made from your blood- slayer blood. Angel managed to put Faith into hiding. It seems the Council want to make the ideal slayer. They're going to destroy this line of slayers completely and raise the new one that will be called to fit their wishes."  
  
Dawn froze. Buffy whimpered, "Giles.I can't run from them, I'm the slayer!  
  
Giles walked over to Buffy and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. "Buffy. . .I'm sorry. But I'm going to let them get to you! You have to. For Dawn, for the Scoobies, and especially for the poor girl who will be called if you're gone. She won't have a life. She'll be a machine. A living, breathing machine."  
  
Buffy looked over at the worried Dawn. "OK, Giles. Tell me what I have to do."  
  
Buffy and Dawn hugged their friends. They had said goodbye to Willow on the phone, and they had been to the cemetery to see Tara and Joyce for the last time.  
  
"Goodbye. . ."  
  
.~*Present day*~.  
  
"So, where ARE they?"  
  
"I can't tell you that."  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
"No, Spike! I will not tell you! Get out! I ought to stake you now.I know what you did!  
  
"Go on then, Watcher. Why don't you?" Murmured Spike.  
  
Giles took a deep breath.  
  
"It's Buffy decision."  
  
Spike nodded. The doorbell jangled as he walked out of the shop.  
  
.~*To be continued.*~.  
  
PS- OK, the human thing.Will be explained! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, etc - All that information is on Chapter One. We don't like reminding ourselves we don't own Buffy. Or Spike, for that matter. . .  
  
Chapter 2  
  
.~*2 and a half weeks later*~.  
  
Spike looked at his map, sighing. "Well, here goes nothing." He said, crossing another town off a list of about a hundred. He asked around in demon bars to see if anyone knew where they were. If a demon knew, he killed them after extracting any information. He didn't want to risk anyone finding out about the Slayer and her sister. He had been looking for them ever since he left Sunnydale. He drove down the main street of the little town and parked his motorbike, looking around, Spike smiled. The town looked like something out of an old western movie. He'd been somewhere like this years ago with Drusilla. The smile faded away. He remembered what they'd done to the townsfolk. Shaking the memory away, Spike saw people entering what looked like the local watering hole and decided to follow. Upon entering Spike looked around for somebody who might be able to help him.  
  
"You're new in town, aren't you?"  
  
Spike turned around to see an old guy staring at him.  
  
"How can you tell?" He asked warily.  
  
"'Cause I know everyone who lives in this town and I don't know you."  
  
"Well, maybe you can help me then. I am looking for some friends of mine, two sisters. One's a short blonde, around 21, and the other's a taller browned haired 16 year old." Spike asked hopefully.  
  
The old man thought for a moment. "No, sorry. I don't know them."  
  
"Oh." Spike said glumly "Thanks anyway. . ." He said, turning around looking for someone else to ask. The guy seemed a little drunk and senile- maybe he didn't know what he was talking about. Spike walked up to another man.  
  
"Hi I'm Sp- Err, William, I'm looking for two sisters they.." Spike stopped talking because he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder "Excuse me." he said before turning around. The old man was staring at Spike once more.  
  
"Did you say The William sisters?"  
  
Spike shook his head. "No I said I'm William. . ."  
  
"No, I am pretty sure you said William sisters." he said, shaking his finger at him "They moved to town a couple of months ago now, a fiery young redhead named Karen and Alison, she has cute dark hair."  
  
Spike thought for a moment. . . Red hair, red. . . It must be Willow! She wasn't there at the Magic Box. Perhaps Dawn was the girl with the dark hair.  
  
The old man smiled at Spike's face. "See, I know everyone in town! They live at the old McClellan place. . .Up the road and turn left."  
  
Spike could have kissed him. Hell, he could have had his children. "Thank you!" With that he rushed off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spike ran outside and jumped onto his motorbike. Starting it, Spike sped out of town in the direction he hoped would lead him to Buffy and Dawn. Turning where the guy told him Spike continued to speed down the dirt road until he saw a grove of trees with a drive way that was barely noticeable. Slowing, Spike carefully turned into the drive and began the longest trip of his life. Parking his bike under some trees Spike sat on the bike contemplating what he was about to do. Reaching into his pocket, he remembered he couldn't smoke anymore. "Bloody brilliant. . ."  
  
.~*Meanwhile*~.  
  
"Got any plans for tonight, Dawn?" Buffy asked.  
  
Dawn looked over at Buffy with wide, scared eyes. "Alison! Who are you talking to?" She hissed.  
  
Buffy looked over at Dawn thinking she was crazy, she then realised what she had done. She had called her by her real name. Buffy began to nervously look around.  
  
"I was. . .Talking to my. . .My imaginary friend! Yes, my imaginary friend named Dawn, who isn't here; she's far, far away on some planet for imaginary people called Dawn. . ." Buffy babbled.  
  
Dawn sighed; Buffy and she had to keep up the personas that were Alison and Karen William in case the Council some how found them.  
  
"Did you hear that Karen?" Buffy (Alison) said.  
  
"No." Dawn (Karen) replied.  
  
"I swear I heard a knocking"  
  
The knock came again but this time Dawn heard it too.  
  
"See, I told you, go look out the window"  
  
Dawn snuck over to the window. "It's some guy. . . He's got browny, blondey hair.  
  
Dawn walked away from the window and the knock came again. Dawn looked at Buffy.  
  
"OK. . . OK. . . I'm going to go out of the back door and go round to the front, alright? Count to ten and then ask him who he is. Don't do anything else!"  
  
Buffy gave her sister a quick smile and Dawn began counting.  
  
"1. . .2. . .3. . .4. . .5. . ."  
  
Knock, knock, knock.  
  
"6. . .7. . .8. . .9. . .10!" "Coming!" Dawn cried out in a false, happy voice.  
  
Spike's heart lifted when he heard the sound.  
  
Dawn flung open the door and almost fainted when she saw Spike.  
  
"Oh my god" she gasped throwing her arms around him. She forgot all the bad things he'd done with relief. She then realised he was standing in the sun.  
  
"Long story." Spike said when he saw Dawn's confused look.  
  
"Come in" she said ushering him in. "You're really here aren't you?"  
  
Spike nodded and Dawns demeanour changed.  
  
"You bastard! You stupid idiot!" Dawn hit Spike harder and harder, tears blinding her face. She rained down blows onto him.  
  
Outside Buffy the noise and slowly crept up to the house with a piece of firewood in her hand. Peeking in, Buffy saw Dawn struggling against a man holding her. Buffy raised the wood and was about to strike when Dawn looked up.  
  
"Buffy! Wait!"  
  
Buffy held the wood high above her head and waited for Dawn to speak again.  
  
Spike slowly turned around, still holding the weeping. Dawn. "Hello, cutie."  
  
.~*To be continued*~.  
  
You like? You review! You no like? You review! JUST REVIEW ALREADY! ;) 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, etc - All that information is on Chapter One. We don't like reminding ourselves we don't own Buffy. Or Spike, for that matter. . .  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Buffy's mouth dropped opened and the piece of wood dropped to the floor. Dawn wiggled out of Spike's embrace and walked over to Buffy.  
  
"Are you alright Buf- I mean, Alison? its just Spike. . ."  
  
"William." He coughed. "I er- like to go by William now."  
  
"William." Dawn corrected her self. "Alison are you alright?"  
  
Buffy stared at William's face, still in shock. She felt so many emotions- anger, hate, surprise, relief, happiness- even forgiveness. She realised that she had provoked into doing what he did. All that using him- she was to wrapped up in her own sadness to think about consequences. She forgot that when you played with Spike, it was like playing with a kitten- a kitten that could bite.  
  
"Karen. . .Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I didn't know it was him! "Dawn/Karen replied. She'd forgiven him too.  
  
"How could you not know, the fiery blanket should have been a give away?!"  
  
"He didn't need it. she said smiling  
  
Dawn could see the tension between Buffy and William. "I have to. . .Go. . .Somewhere! Yeah, I do!" She ran over to William and gave a hug. "I'm still mad at you." She whispered in his ear.  
  
Buffy walked over to the kitchen table and took a seat. William hesitated, then joined her. Buffy stared up at him.  
  
"How?" She asked.  
  
"It's a long story luv, its not why I am here. I needed to know if you were OK."  
  
Buffy nodded.  
  
"Look. . .Buffy."  
  
"Alison."  
  
William nodded. "I'm. . .I'm sorry."  
  
"You left."  
  
"I had to. I couldn't live with what I'd done."  
  
"It wasn't your fault."  
  
"What? Of course it is!"  
  
"No William, its mine. I drove you to it. I shouldn't have used you. I'm sorry, too."  
  
"No, Alison your wrong!"  
  
"Please can we just forget about it?"  
  
"No I will not forget it. What I did was wrong. I tried to rape you!"  
  
"Tried. Tried to."  
  
"Only because you were able to stop me. If you were anyone but the slayer. . ."  
  
"Then you wouldn't have been able to hurt me. If I was anyone else you would have been on pain as soon as you touched me." Buffy said, unable to look at him.  
  
"Still, it doesn't make it right."  
  
"No it doesn't, it makes us even."  
  
"What?" William asked very confused.  
  
"We're even. I treated you badly, you treated me badly."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Buffy nodded then looked away from him "How did you find me?"  
  
"It's taken me nearly three weeks to find you girls. Imagine the shock when I went to your house and found you weren't there."  
  
Buffy looked up and glared at Spike  
  
"Probably as big a shock as I go when I went to ask you to take care of Karen and you weren't there."  
  
Spike grimaced.  
  
"Well, I asked in demon bars until I found you. Demons can feel where the slayer is."  
  
Buffy smiled. "How did you become human?"  
  
.~*To be continued. . .*~.  
  
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